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When I was drafted, I had the good fortune of playing behind Brett Favre and sitting for three years. A lot of these guys get thrust in right away in year one or year two. They might not be ready to play at the highest level possible. – AARON RODGERS

Do you think that helped you in the end? It’s differ- ent for a lot of these young quarterbacks now. When I was drafted, I had the good fortune of playing behind Brett Favre and sitting for three years. A lot of these guys get thrust in right away in year one or year two. They might not be ready to play at the highest level possible. You’re seeing job security decrease, not just for players, but coaches,

too. The emphasis on win- ning, and winning now, has become pretty clear. Coaches aren’t getting the three or four years needed to implement their programs and get their players into it. So it often de- pends on the situation you’re in, which is kind of what I’m telling my little brother (rookie free agent Jordan Rod- gers, who played two seasons at Vanderbilt). Hopefully he gets in a situation where he can compete for a backup

job, because a lot of times it’s about the opportunity and the place you’re at as much as it is about your immediate ability to be successful. ••• You won the Super Bowl in your third season as a starter. Did you ever think it would happen so soon? It needed to or else they would run me out of town. You have to play well when you get your opportu- nity and that was my opportu- nity to play well.

•••

When Green Bay won the Super Bowl, you were the No. 6 seed. The next year, you flirted with an undefeated season and finished 15-1 before falling to the New York Giants in the Divisional Round. Do you still consider 2011 a great season, even though you fell short of the Super Bowl? We won a lot of games and we ac- complished a lot of things that no team had done in Green Bay in a while. We came up short—one team wins it every year, but we still have a lot to be proud of that year. •••

Rodgers also reflected on his Northern California roots after signing a five-year, $110 million contract ex- tension with the Green Bay Packers last April. •••

What did it mean to sign a deal that pays you the highest average salary per year in the NFL? I owe my junior college, high school and college coaches a lot of credit and thanks for getting me to this point. I also thank the organization and the fans for believing in me. Eight years ago, the Packers took a chance on me, and then again in

2008 after seven games. I’m excited to know my future is here and I’ll be here for a lot longer. •••

Is it humbling to receive a contract like that? Yeah, it really is. I feel like I come from some humble roots and I’m very humbled to have this opportunity to play a sport that I love. I’ve been dreaming about playing since I was a kid watching Joe Montana and Steve Young on TV. Being able to live out that dream and be paid very well is a responsibility I take very seriously. •••

Do you still have a chip on your shoulder after all these years and accomplishments? I have a good memory, and I’m driven to be the best. Obviously, there are a couple less critics out there now, but I still put a lot of pressure on myself to achieve the goals I set for myself here, and enjoy trying to meet the challenge that those goals bring, and what opposing teams bring. ••• You lost in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last year to the San Francisco 49ers. What obstacles are in the way of returning to the Super Bowl? You have to be playing the right way at the end of the season. You have to have a little bit of luck with injuries, and you have to win playoff games. The first order of business is get all your playoff games at home. That usually gives you a little better opportunity. Had our game against San Francisco been at home, things might have turned out a little differently. Instead, we were on the road in a tough environment. We won some of those games before, but it definitely makes it easier when you get can those games at home.